Walls
by fangirlingprobs
Summary: In which Akashi is a little emotionally unstable so his lover encourages him to build a snowman: "Atsushi, you do realize that we are in college, and therefore much too old to play in the snow…"


Snowflakes flurried down in a timeless dance from the grey sky above, while naked trees were continuously rattled by the forceful wind outside. A large purple-haired figure was seen slumped over a table inside of a cozy café tucked in the heart of his campus. His eyes were glued to the establishment's doors as he nibbled on his lips thoughtlessly.

'Aka-chin~ Where are you?' whined Murasakibara internally as he glanced woefully down at his plate which was devoid of cake. He really felt like something was off about Akashi lately – the man was never late. His head flopped to the side, eyes narrowing at the floor to the left as a pair of dark brown, slightly wet oxfords came into his vision.

"Atsushi," greeted the man he was just thinking of, "I had to settle some matters with my professors. It took longer than usual." Akashi explained while taking a seat in the surprisingly comfortable chair across from him, casually taking a hold of a menu stuck under Murasakibara's arms.

During the time Murasakibara shifted his body back into a normal sitting position, he took in the small downward tug of his shorter lover's lips and the small, almost unnoticeable scrunching of his forehead. As smooth as a one of 6'10" can be, Murasakibara slowly entwined his fingers with those of Akashi's left hand. His gaze pinned on the man before him, eyes unusually somber.

"Seijuro, what has been bothering you lately?" pressed Murasakibara, tone lacking the childish vibe many have associated to the man. It was unlike the captain to be any less than impeccable in his presentation of himself. "Do I need to crush somebody?"

Akashi shivered lightly, knowing it was rare for his lover to be serious and to call him by his first name, no less. He tilted his head up, guarded heterochromatic eyes meeting hard indigo ones.

"What exactly are you talking about?"

The grasp on his hand tightened instantly, and then was quickly loosened again. Sometimes, Murasakibara forgot his strength – but around Akashi, he was always careful not to hurt him. The redhead seemed to be incapable of being anything but all-knowing and strong; Murasakibara knew better. He saw beyond that facade because he was allowed to rip through certain walls Akashi had built up; he was there when Akashi shot the press' camera a satisfied smirk after Teiko won their third championship in a row, but he was also there when Akashi was bitter with disappointment at yet another cheque forwarded by his family's butler when his parents didn't make it home for his birthday.

It was an unspoken agreement between the two that while giant would heed Akashi's every order in their public life – it was the purple-haired man who had the upper hand in the relationship. The battle of the wills through the staring contest came to an abrupt end when Akashi shifted his attention down to the café's menu, adamant on denying that anything was wrong.

Murasakibara blinked slowly in surprise at his lover's actions. It was simply unlike him to ever back down from any type of power struggle. He reached across the table with his unoccupied arm and tilted Akashi's chin up to face him, shooting him a soft look from lavender tinted eyes.

"Why so stubborn, Aka-chin?" murmured Murasakibara as he caressed his cheek lightly. "I just want to take care of you."

Akashi sighed, caving in. "The professors think I plagiarized my thesis because it's apparently 'too good' for it to be written by a mere college student. For the past week, I've been trying to prove that it is my composition but I can't find my progress work anywhere. They insist on seeing it or else I'll be…" Akashi trailed off as the fingers entangled in his lover's clenched.

Murasakibara chuckled.

Akashi's gaze at the large man became icy, facial expression rapidly becoming closed off. "Do tell, what is so funny about the possibility of me getting expelled from college?" His tone was harsh, demanding a clear explanation.

School was always important to the red headed man; it was the only place where he was able to garner respect from his parents. The first time Akashi ever received familial affection was when he was presented with the certificate confirming his record as the first student to ever maintain the highest grades of the whole institution for the three consecutive years in high school.

Murasakibara began to rub circles with his thumb on the back of Akashi's hand as he said in a nonchalant manner, "You worked on your thesis on my computer, Aka-chin. I had the files all along."

"Oh."

"Mhm, shall we head back to my place then? If you're not going to order?" he asked while giving his partner a small smirk. At Akashi's nod, Murasakibara gently let go of his hand and stood to put on his coat, seeing the other mirror his actions. After leaving money to cover the bill on the table, the two left the warmth of the café and began their walk back to the dorms in the chilly december weather.

It may come to a surprise to some, but Murasakibara quite liked winter. People always seemed to be armed with snacks around this time of the year, and not to mention that snow looked rather…tasty; it reminded him of icing sugar – the perfect final touch to any dessert.

With a quick squeeze to their entwined hands, Murasakibara caught Akashi's attention and put a stop to his strides.

"What is it, Atsushi?" Akashi inquired, used to his lover's impulsive antics. He still remembered that one time where he was forced to go all the way to another prefecture because 'Kuro-chin said that store make the best vanilla shakes!'.

Releasing his hold of Akashi's hand, Murasakibara made an excited gesture towards the campus' snow-covered field. "Let's make a snowman, Aka-chin." he insisted, "Doing something fun when you're stressed helps you relax."

Akashi shook his head in amusement, resisting the upward tug of his facial muscles and remarked, "Atsushi, you do realize that we are in college, and therefore much too old to play in the snow…" he continued in a teasing tone, "but this would serve as an excellent training opportunity for y-."

Murasakibara cut him off with a sudden but gentle kiss as he was enveloped in strong arms. As his lover pulled back and rested his cheek on his red hair, Akashi buried his face in the man's chest, arms instinctually wrapping around his waist – mentally allowing himself to indulge in this moment of vulnerability. He felt all the worries that accumulated over the past week melt away.

"Sei-chin, I have a request…" began Murasakibara in a soft tone.

"Yes?"

"Please come to me if you have any troubles in the future?" murmured the tall man as he pressed a light kiss to the crown of Akashi's head.

Murasakibara didn't hear a verbal confirmation, but he felt the movement of a nod against his torso. Long arms merely tightened the embrace in response to the victorious feeling of yet another wall torn down.

Snow continued to fall around them, but neither cared – for they were in their own little world where no one mattered, but each other.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I finally got around to writing something for this fandom eep**  
**This is dedicated to Rena ( serenemelodies) for spoiling me with many fics.  
Also, many thanks to Mara ( feels-everywhere) for betaing ~**  
**Cover art credit goes to 姫子 (pixiv id#1985820)


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